Balda
Players add a letter to a five-by-five grid in turn and at once build a word through neighbouring cells; a word scores as many points as it has letters.
A grid of five by five, with a five-letter word written across the middle row. Then, in turn: put one letter into an empty cell next to an occupied one — and build a word that runs through it.
A word scores as many points as it has letters, so the game is not about finding something but about placing a letter that yields something long. And, at the same time, about not handing the same to your neighbour: the grid is shared, and a convenient letter works for everybody.
Towards the end few cells remain, words get shorter, and the last turns often go on simply being able to move at all.
The Balda that needs no paper
The name also belongs to a spoken game in which letters are added one at a time while trying not to finish a word. It shares nothing with this one but the name, and is described as Ghost.
Rules of Balda
The grid
A square of five by five cells. A five-letter starting word is written across the middle row.
A turn
A turn is two inseparable parts:
- the player writes into an empty cell that has an occupied neighbour horizontally or vertically;
- they build a word that necessarily includes that letter.
The word is read along a : from a cell you may move sideways, up or down. The path may turn as often as it likes but never passes through one cell twice.
A player with no legal move passes.
Which words count
Common nouns in the singular, in their base form.
A word already built in this game does not count a second time — even if read along a different path.
Nor does a word that could already be read on the grid before this turn: the new letter has to be part of it.
Scoring
One letter of the word is one point. A five-letter word scores five.
End of the game
The game ends when the grid is full or when nobody can make a legal move. The highest score wins.
Worth knowing
Which words are allowed is agreed beforehand: usually common nouns in the singular and in their base form, though the strictness varies. A grid of seven by seven is played as well; the starting word is then longer and the game runs on.
Glossary of terms
- The new letter
- The letter placed this turn. It has to be part of the word built — otherwise the turn does not count.
- The path
- The route a word is read along, from cell to neighbouring cell. A word never passes through one cell twice.